


Trust Dragon, I

by Eskiy



Series: Trust Dragon, I [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Forced Captivity, Forced Drug Use, Gen, M/M, Past Torture, Slow Build, Very old work, as in a few years old, dragons are real, dragons have attitude problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 15:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eskiy/pseuds/Eskiy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Forced from his throne long ago, Alaen's plans of taking it back are finally underway. However, nothing is as easy as it seems at first; His charge, Amiri has been a prisoner of his own home for years, and the second he begins to tap into his unknown heritage things begin to go downhill, and fast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trust Dragon, I

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter was written back during the fall of 2009 for a creative writing course.
> 
> Also, formatting took a bit of a beating.

**Trust Dragon, I**

      The Bellus Manor was a large, glistening white structure that stood on a large hill outside of the town of Migrus in the Tumulus region of southwestern Diapente Province. Its massive gardens were filled with fragrant flowers almost year round, and had won envy from the Empress herself, who normally took time during the winter months to visit the Diapente Governor in said Manor. She visited despite the fact that the Governor had no tolerance for the woman who took advantage of every penny the Emperor collected from taxes to widen her wardrobe.

      It wasn’t just the fact that she was a greedy snake, oh no. The woman was downright annoying to her very last hair. Her voice was high pitched; she laughed like a sick dog, pretended she was better than everyone else. Although all those of Noble birth acted the same, she enjoyed nothing more than bragging about herself to everyone in range and not listening to a word anyone else said to her.

      Needless to say, when the carriage that rolled through the town in the middle of summer was not hers, the townsmen were delighted. However, their happiness was short lived once they saw one of the occupants staring blankly out the window, head propped up with a hand against it. Every creature, great and small, knew of Governor Kinhih’s heir. Yes, they certainly did.

      After all, it wasn’t hard for a rumor about a Noble to spread like wild fire.

      Although almost of age, the light haired youth was still affixed to a Nurse. Not a child’s nurse, but a medicinal nurse who followed the boy everywhere, never leaving him for a moment even when he would fall to the ground and throw a tantrum to get his way.

      Amiri Makram Kinhih had become mad.

      His parents at first had not believed anything was wrong with their first born. The child although temperamental, had played and laughed and had imaginary friends like any other. However, when that imaginary friend didn’t go away by his twelfth year, they began to wonder. It was that same year that he began to fly into a rage on a whim, and that he had begun to hunt for small game to eat. He’d catch it with his bare hands and eat the meat raw.

      Such a disgusting habit would never had been known had a humble servant not stumbled upon the sight late one night eight years ago. She’d been walking the halls on a whim that night, and following a strange noise, she stopped dead in her tracks. The young master of the House crouched over a half eaten rat. Blood dripped down his chin and crooked fingers, the entrails of the creature dangling from his fingers as his lips smacked greedily around whatever bit he’d popped in there before she had turned the corner. He’d stared right at the woman, green eyes half masked and blank, his fingers reached into the carcass, tore out a bit of meat and stuck it in his mouth.

      The Governor had the woman hanged, but not before she ranted about it to her fellow servants.

      The carriage slowly rolled out of the town proper and into the rolling fields, following the winding path further and further from Migrus, and closer and closer to Bellus Manor. It seemed like hours before the creaking coach lulled to a stop, the horses huffing and snorting as they pawed the ground, all but demanding to be unhitched and allowed to graze.

      The door creaked open and with a small scowl Amiri stepped out, the carriage rocking and swaying as he left it to stand on solid ground. He shuffled away, standing at the steps and staring up at the sky. No clouds. Odd.

Each movement he made, from his shuffling feet, to the way he craned his neck to stare up at the sky was deliberate. Years of practice had made each step, each head swivel look fluid, no matter how lazy it appeared. His blond hair was kept neat and tidy, combed down his neck, bangs tickling his defined cheeks and at times blocking view of his unearthly green eyes. He held the same, distinct air of authority that the other nobility carried no matter how tainted his blood was with the drugs they used to sedate him. Amiri appeared normal by any and all means, save for the fact that when one looked into those green eyes of his, they saw a caged beast, struggling against the human bonds that kept it chained inside the boy.

      “Oh, I’m so happy to finally be here!” exclaimed Rasha Hasiba Kinhih as she was helped from the carriage. She smiled brightly, cheeks rosy, face lit up. One hand on her rounded belly she lifted her skirts with her other, as she moved to stand next to Amiri. “Amiri? Aren’t you happy as well?”

      Amiri blinked once, twice, then angled his neck to look at her.

      A young woman of only twenty-eight, Rasha Hasiba was the Governor’s second wife. By no means was she Amiri’s mother, let alone his elder sister Isra’s, but the woman was kind enough and tried her hardest to be some sort of maternal influence on the children as they grew up. Most of the time she had ended up being far more of an elder sister or a friend than a parent. She wasn’t very smart either. Even though she had been schooled as a child and into her teenage years, the woman couldn’t do simple arithmetic, let alone explain why when one looks into the Diapente River they see both the sky and fish. In fact, the only reason Amiri could even fathom that his father had taken Rasha as his wife was that the woman was beautiful.

      She had long blonde hair--a rarity among the southern regions—large brown eyes framed with the longest lashes anyone had ever seen, full lips and a clear, angelic face with a nose that sported just the tiniest upturned tip.

      The young master stared at her for a long moment before his lips parted to answer, “I don’t feel anything.” He replied, causing the woman’s brow to furrow, that little crease between her eyebrows appearing like a cleft between two rocks.

      She was smart enough to be confused, but too dumb to question his reply. “I’m sorry,” she said, slowly moving up the steps as servants suddenly swarmed around her and the carriage, giving Amiri a large berth.

      He watched her waddle into the Manor, all of the servants trickling in after her with cries of welcome and questions about her condition. Rasha was due with her first child in only a month or so, and the stress of city life had been too much for the delicate woman to handle. She had been relocated under doctor’s orders, and Amiri had been forced along—thankfully without his ever present nurse for once, since he’d been behaving well enough. After all, how intimidating would a man be ‘protecting’ a woman if he had a _nurse_ hovering over his shoulder?

      Amiri stood alone in front of the Manor, the only sound coming from the wind rustling the leaves of the trees and flowers, the perfume wafting up to billow around him like an invisible blanket.

     ‘ _Well, at least you are not on a leash this time._ ’

      Amiri scowled a bit, craning his neck to look at the creature perched on his shoulder. No larger than a three week old kitten, but ten times as deadly, black scales catching the light and giving off an eerie glow sat a Dragon. His blackened horns and claws were tiny and sharp, and when the creature gave a yawn of boredom his mouth was lined with razor sharp, silver teeth that even at their miniscule size could easily tear off any wandering digits.

      ‘ _Do not scowl at_ me _,_ ’ grumbled the dragon, emerald eyes unblinking as they stared right back at the human.

      “Why not? You’re slowly beginning to irritate me.”

      ‘ _Irritate you?_ ’ A snort. ‘ _I am the one looking after a babe. Do you not remember how many times you nearly choked me to death when you were even smaller than you are now?_ That _is irritating._ ’

      “They’re called children, Alaen.”

      ‘ _Human children, you mean. Besides, I care not what they are called. I only care if they are meaty enough to fill my stomach for more than a few days. The scrawny ones are crunchy, but their limbs get stuck between your teeth far too easily. Now, human infants on the other hand…_ ’

      “Don’t even start.”

      ‘ _Start what?_ ’ he asked innocently, claws digging into Amiri’s shoulder as the young man began to walk up the steps. ‘ _I was merely going to enlighten you as to how good they are. Sometimes you can swallow them in one gulp, no chewing necessary._ ’

      “For the last _time_ , you’re not eating my baby brother when he is born.”

      He snorted again, tail moving to curl around the shell of Amiri’s ear. ‘ _It’s an open-ended offer. If you get tired of it, just say the word, Young Master._ ’

      He scoffed, reaching up and stroking the smooth scales. Legends explained that the scales of a dragon were hard and rough, sharp enough to tear skin apart, but the truth was the opposite. At least where Alaen was concerned, anyway. His scales were as smooth as silk and soft, feeling almost like the feathers of a bird had they actually _been_ feathers.

      The dragon made a rolling chirp, eyes closing as he pressed back against the hand. He was well into middle-age, but that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy a good old rub down.

Amiri shoved the Manor door open and slipped inside, letting his hand drop down to his side, much to Alaen’s disappointment. He’d finally managed to get away from his nurse and if he started acting ‘mad’ again, they’d send for her faster than he could take a breath to try and explain himself.

~+~

The day Amiri and Alaen had met was one the boy easily forgot. The Dragon had come into his life by chance—or at least that was how Alaen had explained it.

Amiri could remember a woman with strange eyes and sunkissed skin. Waves of thick, golden hair tumbled down her neck and back, her clothes tattered and torn from years of use and obvious discare. The clothes had been draped over her body as if she were unused to wearing them, the tunic she wore too small for her chest, the riding pants far too large with shredded foot holes. Both were stained and caked with red and brown, same for the tattered blue cloak she had tossed over her shoulders, hood pulled down low over her noble features.

A man had stood at her side, taller than a tree in Amiri’s memory. His skin was dark, almost ebony in appearance, and his eyes so gold they looked molten. He had large horns, hidden under the hood of his own worn out cloak curled and twisted around his ears, mingled with raven locks of fine hair. His chest was barren, the only garment that covered him was a pair of stained deerskin pants in much the same state as the woman’s own pants.

Curled over his shoulder had been Alaen, black scales shimmering in the sun, eyes closed with the expression of an overly pampered, lounging cat on a sunny window ledge.

“Can I hold him?” was the first thing Amiri had said to the strangers that stood separated from the small child by a wrought iron fence.

“You can see him?” the woman asked, kneeling down to smile fondly at the boy.

Amiri had nodded, and when the woman reached through the bars to rub at his baby fine hair he leaned into her touch. She had been warm.

Alaen at that point had opened his eyes, scoffed and reluctantly dropped to the ground. He slipped through the fence and gagged when Amiri cheered, picking the poor creature up by the neck to hug him close.

“Watch him, Alaen.” The woman warned. “My son is to be protected, not to be used for your sick little games.”

‘ _Why, what sick little games?_ ’ he asked, clawing the boy’s arms as he tried to get the pressure off his abused neck. His reward was only to make a strange gagging noise when arms tightened around him.

Amiri rubbed his face against Alaen’s scales, beaming. “He’s soft!” he cried in happiness, plopping down with him. The Dragon looked none too pleased, and the strange man had smirked.

“You know what ‘sick games’ I’m talking about. If you use him to regain your throne so help me…”

Amiri’s nurse had rushed over at that point, to drag the boy away from the strange ‘beggars.’ When Amiri had tried to show her his new pet, the woman had rolled her eyes, telling him that he had no pets, and his father had forbade them since the fish mysteriously disappeared.

The young noble had quickly pushed the strange meeting aside, focusing on the fact that he finally had a pet—and one that could talk to boot!

~+~

“It looks wonderful.” Rasha chirped, fingers laced together in front of her face, eyes sparkling as she stared at the spread before them. Roasted meats and sliced vegetables steaming from crystalline bowls and plates lured them in. Candles dotted the large, white clothed table here and there, hiding amongst the dishes like frightened little squirrels.

Amiri would have rather had a squirrel, even if they were a bit on the stringy side.

Anything but slow roasted pork and goose. He’d rather be anywhere but sitting in this overly large dining hall, the setting sun stretching its last fingers of light through the stained glass wall. The glistening crystal chandelier twinkled down at them from above the table, and a line of servants standing along the wall that separated the dining hall from the kitchen stairs. To top it off, he’d rather not have this constricting collar around his neck. The large jeweled broach dug into his throat with every twist and turn of his head, made worse by the fact that Alaen seemed to enjoy pressing against it with his tail whenever the young master tried to speak, causing his voice to suddenly turn into a squeak.

“Oh! Try the pork, Amiri!” the woman exclaimed, her fork poised midair after having placed yet another morsel into her mouth. “It’s heavenly!”

He looked down at his own plate, pieces of meat and vegetables placed delicately around the edges by a careful hand. “It’s cooked.” was all he could even think of saying.

He regretted it when the hall suddenly turned quiet, the only sound coming from the flickering candles. It was a strange noise, really, almost akin to the sound of a butterfly’s wings.

“Of course it’s cooked…” the Lady said carefully, setting her fork down, brow creasing in worry once more. “Amiri, are you well?”

Amiri matched her own frown, “I’m well.” He replied. “I was just stating that it was cooked too much for my tastes.”

‘ _Oh yes, very good cover. ‘Too Much for my Tastes.’ That will_ certainly _cover up the fact you wanted it raw_.’ Alaen helpfully pointed out.

He waved his hand at the dragon, as if shooing a fly away. “I would rather not have it falling off the bone the moment I touch it. That’s all I meant.”

Rasha looked doubtful for a moment before she nodded. “Alright.” She turned her attention to one of the servants, “Please, make a bit of meat that is not so well done…”

“So, the Governor’s heir is _still_ unwell?” came the unpleasant screech as the doors opened. Servants quickly scrambled to bow low, although a few had to bite their lips as to not spit or cry out at the Empress.

Rasha looked startled herself and struggled to get out of her chair. “E---empress! I didn’t know…I wasn’t informed that you were here…” she stammered.

The Empress turned her nose up at Rasha. “Stay seated before you lose whatever sane child you have growing within you.”

The pregnant blond relaxed into her chair, looking grateful. “Oh, thank you, your Ladyship…” Her eyes flickered to Amiri, who carried that blank look once again, the one he plastered on his face whenever he was forced to think too much. “A—Amiri, please, stand and greet our Empress.” she murmured softly, reaching over to touch his hand.

Amiri flinched at her touch, his lips pulling down ever so slightly into a frown. “I’d rather not.”

There was the silence again. The Empress stood there, completely shocked and appalled by the words. “Excuse me?” she asked, voice low. “Repeat that, Young Master Kinhih.” Her fists clutched at her skirts, the silky material already beginning to wrinkle and stretch.

‘ _Yes, please. Do repeat yourself. But wait…let me get closer so I can bite her fingers off. Although, they may be foul tasting. On Second thought, you’re on your own, babe._ ’ Alaen said, slinking down Amiri’s arm, onto the table to nudge a piece of the meat with his nose before he sat on his haunches, watching the Empress. This, this would definitely be entertaining. Especially since the Empress, in her infinite vanity, was wearing a necklace made from Dragon Eyes, the largest of which was the same _exact_ color as Amiri’s own.

The Eye was large, about as big as the woman’s own fist and sitting right on her collar. An ebony streak sliced through its center, flecks of gold sprinkled here and there like scattered coins. Oh yes, nothing could make a little baby more angry than seeing his own mother’s eyes in death, staring right at him.

Amiri narrowed his eyes and stood, his own jaw ticking in irritation. The Empress, however, was too dumb to realize the boy’s anger, instead taking the fact that he stood up to mean that she won their little spat before it even began.

He stepped towards her, closing the distance between them with only a few long strides. “Your Ladyship,” he seethed. Then, without warning he reached up, hand fisting around that all seeing eye, tearing it and the rest of the necklace from her neck.

“Amiri!” Rasha cried, horrified.

The Empress herself let out a shrill, undignified scream that reminded Alaen of a half dead chicken. “How dare you!?” she squawked, stumbling back, hand to her throat, eyes wide.

“ _This_.” He seethed, shaking his fist at her, the eyes thumping against his clothed arm. “This is _mine_ , and _you_ , You are nothing but an ignorant—”

‘ _Time to run!_ ’ Alaen chirped, leaping from the table and landing on Amiri’s pant leg. He crawled up his back and hung onto his shoulder, claws digging in to ground himself, tail curling around Amiri’s neck.

“Guards!” the Empress screamed, pointing an accusing finger at the boy. On cue, three uniformed men burst into the dining hall, spears raised, poised to strike down any threat. “Seize him! He just tried to _kill_ me! Treason! _Treason_!” she screeched, teeth clenched as she pounded her foot onto the ground. Her face was red, scrunched into such a horrifying expression even an ogre would have fled.

Rasha finally struggled to her feet, and screamed over the Empress’ cries. “Please! Empress! He’s just a silly child! He’s ill—he knows not what he’s done!! Forgive him, Empress!” she tried. But her pleas went unheard as the Guards began to approach Amiri, servants scurrying to huddle in the corner, a few holding onto Rasha’s shoulders.

‘ _As I said,_ now _would be a_ great _time to_ run _!_ ’ the Dragon screeched.

Amiri, shocked by the guards snapped out of his daze and turned on his heel, fleeing. He smashed through the dinning hall doors and skidded along the marble floors until he reached the main doors. With a giant heave he managed to push them open, racing down the steps and taking off down the dirt path.

‘ _Have I told you lately how…_ intelligent _you are?_ ’ Alaen mocked as he clung to the young man’s shirt, long neck craning back to keep an eye trained on the guards. They were right on Amiri’s heels, spears waving about, threatening to impale them---or more realistically, Amiri—should he stop.

“Shut up, Alaen.” Amiri huffed as he moved through the brush and into the woods. He yelped as he fell to the forest floor. Pain shot up his ankle and he struggled onto his back, then his elbows, peering down to see the gnarled old root that had lifted itself, slithering around his leg, crawling higher and higher. The youth let out a yelp, kicking at it and thrashing his legs, attempting to untangle himself from whatever man eating plant had suddenly decided to make a meal out of him.

‘ _Watch it!_ ’

Amiri’s gaze shot upwards as the guards came crashing through the foliage. “Well…not that smart now, are you?” drawled one, lips curled back into a disgusting smile, yellow teeth and all. “Round ‘im up.” He told the other two, jerking his head towards their target.

Alaen hissed and leaped up, sinking his teeth into the man’s nose, claws raking down his cheeks.

To the Dragon’s amusement, he screamed like a little girl, dropping his spear and clutching his face just as Alaen leaped off and began to gnaw on the vegetation curled about Amiri’s leg.

“What happened?!” demanded one of the other guards, a young man no older than Amiri himself.

“Something just---something _bit_ me!” he cried, blood trailing down his face in rivulets.

Their target forgotten for the moment, Amiri jerked his leg free and scrambled away, drawing attention only when he stepped on a twig.

“Get him!” the guard screeched, much like the Empress herself, jerking his finger at the retreating back.

‘ _This is getting old_.’ Alaen sneered, clinging to Amiri’s pant leg this time.

“Sh---shut up!” he wheezed. Amiri was meant for sitting in chairs and reading books, most certainly not running for his life. Since when was a dragon the prey? He grabbed the trunk of a sapling, using it to help spin him around and take off in another direction. Already he was getting a stitch in his side, legs cramping up at the thighs. He really couldn’t take anymore of this…

‘ _There!_ ’ he hissed, clambering back up to his perch—a difficult task when he was being jerked around as the boy moved. He stretched out his neck towards the part in the trees that opened up to clear blue sky and a drop a mile high.

Amiri stumbled as he burst through the trees, yelping once again when he noticed the drop. He teetered on the edge for a moment before managing to regain his balance and back away. “Are you insane?!” he demanded of his companion, eyes large as he stared at the drop.

His neck swiveled when the heavy footfalls of the guards began to draw closer behind him, accompanied by shouts of ‘Stop! Hault! You’ve nowhere to go, boy!’ He looked to Alaen, those green eyes of the Dragon blinking back at him, filled with infinite wisdom. The creature slid off his perch, the crackling and snapping of bones dislocating and mending back together, skin tearing and shredding for what seemed like hours filling the air before it suddenly stopped; Alaen stood before his master in human form. “Trust me.” purred the once dragon as he stood before Amiri, dark skin marred here and there with scars, hair knotted and threaded with bones and beads, two horns curling around his scalp.

Amiri glowered at him, nothing good ever came of Alaen changing appearance, “Don’t kill them.”

“And why not?” Alaen asked, lips curling back into a cruel smirk. He dropped one clawed hand onto his charges’ shoulder. “You’re already wanted for treason. So, why don’t we just…up the ante a little? Just a smidge? Give them a real run for their money, teach them a nice little lesson? Show them that they’re not invincible like they say.”

The sharp sound of a twig snapping startled Amiri and he looked over his shoulder, inadvertently leaning towards the humanoid dragon.

“There there, babe,” he cooed as if to a small child, which was exactly what Amiri was. “Trust me.”

He glanced back up at him just as the guards burst out from the tree line. They seemed confused for a moment. Could they now see him?

“Now or never.”

Amiri bit his lip, fisting his hands as the guards shook off their confusion and began to draw closer, “You’ve no place to run off to,” Warned the one Alaen had attacked. “Death by fall, or death by the Empress. Come quietly and maybe she’ll let you go.” The three chuckled at that. The Empress never let anything ‘go.’

Amiri backed against Alaen, eyeing the three men as they came closer, the sharp tips of their spears aimed for his chest. The closer they came, the further Amiri backed away, and whether Alaen’s hands gripped his arms tightly in reassurance or as an anchor he couldn’t tell.

“You still have too much to do.” Alaen reminded him, voice low.

Too much…? His brow furrowed a bit, heart pounding in his chest. “I’d rather not die,” he replied.

“Too bad,” sneered the guard.

“For him,” Alaen smirked, gripping Amiri as he took the last few steps back, the ground falling out from under them. Amiri let out a sharp cry, the wind catching it and throwing it upwards as its icy fingers pulled at his clothes and hair, pinched his skin, and roared in his ears. He saw the guards watching from the edge of the cliff as it grew further and further away, and the ground below came closer and closer.

Panic filled him, and not even the arms snaking around him, whether they were Alaen’s or Death’s could calm him. Something snapped, the sound piercing the air, and the roaring suddenly stopped, the sharp jerk of his fall breaking blinding him.

This was it. 

This was…

~+~


End file.
